1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to telecommunications systems and, more particularly, to a method and system for advertising supported communications.
2. Description of Related Art
Over the last few years, wireless phones have shrunk in size and weight, making them a viable communication tool. As the amount of time subscribers spend talking on their cell phones is steadily increasing, the cost of service is becoming an important factor in how much time a person spends on a phone.
Many cell phone companies offer to their subscribers a predetermined number of free minutes per month that may be managed through the use of subscriber free account balances. In such a system, a subscriber may be authorized to use a predetermined number of minutes or a predetermined monetary value of services. As the subscriber uses the services, the carrier may then continuously monitor and decrement the free account balance. When the free account balance is exhausted, the carrier may then bill the subscriber for the excess use.
Additionally, some providers offer prepaid services to “credit challenged” subscribers, that is, subscribers with poor credit standings, or subscribers wishing to limit their monthly spending to a predetermined monthly balance. In such a system, a subscriber may deposit a prepayment amount with a service provider, and the service provider allows the subscriber to use services only up to a predetermined amount prepaid. When the subscriber approaches the prepaid limit during a call, the service provider might then prompt the subscriber to recharge the account, and the subscriber may add value to the account balance by making an additional prepayment, as for instance, with a credit card.
While the existing services enable users to obtain free minutes and control over the cost of service, a need still exists for an improved system for providing free or discounted communication services to subscribers.